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If you are thinking about moving abroad, then you just might want to avoid ending up in these 11 primitive countries with the worst infrastructure in the world.

The infrastructure of a country basically refers to the basic physical and organizational facilities a country uses to get things done. The better the shape of such facilities and organizations, the smoother things are for anyone in need of them. Primarily international trade and businesses are affected by the condition of a country’s infrastructural conditions, but to some extent tourists and residents are also affected by its efficiency and effectiveness as well. Now, most modern countries have highly effective and to the point infrastructure in place, so that matters can be dealt with in a timely manner. After all, everyone knows that time is money and the more time it takes for a matter to get resolved, the more it costs the state. The problems start when we get to developing countries or worse, underdeveloped countries. In those countries, sometimes the people responsible for developing infrastructure are corrupt and deliberately keep things as they are in order to make personal gains. In other cases, there are just not enough resources available to the country to be able to make amends. Either way, people suffer from these short comings and we must write about them in order to raise awareness. India is an emerging economic and military power in Asia, but in the experience of some western visitors they would pronounce “India worst country on earth” in a heartbeat on account of infrastructure. The good news is, the government of India seems to be well aware of that and this is why you will find India in the list of 10 Countries That Spend the Most on Infrastructure.

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The most underdeveloped continent in the world is Africa, and if we were to make a list of top 10 worst countries to visit, probably the majority of those 10 slots would be occupied by African countries like Somalia, Mauritania because of unrest. But in this article, we are strictly looking at the infrastructure of a country and that changes things up a bit. Well, a lot of African countries did make it in our list, but a lot of Asian countries also made it. These are countries where tourism is a good option, but they may not have infrastructure suitable for 2017, so to speak. Thus making some of them the worst countries to live in Asia for the time being. One example is Bhutan where tourism is a really good option but the country suffers terribly from poor infrastructure. Why would a person go to Bhutan when they can visit any of the 11 Countries with the Best Road Infrastructure in the World for the same amount of money. The problem with the underdeveloped countries does not end there, these countries show up in lists of countries with poor education system, weakest country in the world 2016, weakest country in Asia and so on. If you look up such lists, you will pretty much end up with the same few countries like, Mauritania, Somalia, Bhutan, Guinea.

Countries that have worse infrastructure suffer from a whole host of problems, but for people living in such countries, receiving proper education can be a real challenge. In our research we found that the countries with the worst education system in Asia have made it into the list as well, like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Laos. Now that we are talking about negatives here, here’s another list, the 11 Countries with the Worst Reputation in the World might interest you as well.

Since we are going to be talking about infrastructure, we thought it would be best to stick with the LPI or Logistic Performance Index as the basis for our research. This is a report published by the World Bank every two years based on their research on 160 countries. However, alongside infrastructure the LPI index also considers parameters such as international shipments, logistics competence, tracking & tracing, and timeliness, then ranks a country based on all of these. We looked at the most recent 2016 edition of the LPI and then looked at countries with the worst infrastructure scores, and voila we have a list to share with our readers. One more thing to note here is that the average for infrastructure score in the last LPI index is about 2.76. The lower the country’s score, the higher it will be on our list.

Let’s start the list of 11 primitive countries with the worst infrastructure in the world.

11. Kyrgyzstan

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.96

This is not a list that any country would be proud to be in, but regardless, the country starting off our list is Kyrgyzstan. The country has been occupied by foreign forces for thousands of years, but it eventually gained independence in the early 1990s. Basically, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan is pretty young, thus if allowed, more time in peace reforms will take place and perhaps this country will recover from the political and economic slump it is currently experiencing.

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10. Bhutan

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.96

We are continuing our list of primitive countries with the worst infrastructure in the world with Bhutan and it’s score that is identical with the previous entrant in the list, Kyrgyzstan. Also, something worth noting is that the native terrain of both the countries is extremely rugged and mountainous. This really creates trouble for implementing infrastructural reforms. Also the fact that these countries have a really low GDP does not help at all. In the case of Bhutan, the population of the country is also really small, thus making things even more difficult.

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9. Guinea-Bissau

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.91

Guinea-Bissau is a west African country and one of the primitive countries with the worst infrastructure in the world on our list. The country is a prime example of a war torn nation and people caught among power hungry and tyrannical leaders. Since the independence of Guinea-Bissau a power struggle among different factions has escalated, and the people of the country have suffered. Momentary peace has been achieved for the time being, but violence can erupt once again.

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8. Iraq

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.87

We all pretty much know what happened in Iraq. In less than two decades the country has had to put up with two major wars, and wars are extremely taxing for any nation. Before the first Iraq war, the country had much better infrastructure and as dictatorships go, the then Iraqi leader President Saddam Hussein, did try to keep the country looking good. But, all that has changed and the two consecutive wars have absolutely wrecked the infrastructure of the country, and now Iraq is a breeding ground for international terrorism.

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7. Afghanistan

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.84

At number 7 we have Afghanistan; another classic example of a war torn country. After its independence from the Soviet Union, a power struggle ensued among the various warlords who were now out of a job due to the defeat of their common enemy the Red Army. To be honest, the war never really stopped. So, to expect a better infrastructure score from a country like Afghanistan would be expecting too much, so you can see why it makes our list of primitive countries with the worst infrastructure in the world.

6. Lao PDR

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.76

Lao PDR or Laos is a Southeast Asian country famous for its mountainous terrain and the ever present Mekong river. Like many other Southeast Asian countries, Laos was also once a foreign colony. However, Laos gained independence in 1949 from France. Following independence, the country took the route of a Monarchy, which as expected did not do well and a civil war broke out. However, all the dust settled in the mid to late 70s, and despite a prolonged period of peace and harmony, the country still has not recovered from the economic trough.

Image Credit: Pixabay/Public Domain

5. Somalia

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.57

Next in line on the list of primitive countries with the worst infrastructure in the world is Somalia, probably one of the worst countries to be in right now, between famine, war, epidemics and socio-political unrest in the country. Despite receiving a lot of foreign aid the people of the country are suffering terribly in the hand of their own leaders and politicians. Naturally, the country’s infrastructure is one of the worst in the world, as there is very little budget allotted by the government to remedy the situation.

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4. Mauritania

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.54

Mauritania is another West African country, and like Laos, Mauritania was also part of the French colonial empire. However, unlike Laos Mauritania did not achieve independence till the 1960s. The country is the eleventh largest in all of Africa, but most of the country is covered in arid dessert, thus making communication extremely difficult. This also led to a rise in crime and slavery is still rampant in Mauritania.

Pixabay / Public Domain

3. Equatorial Guinea

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.50

We have stepped into the top three of the primitive countries with the worst infrastructure in the world but unlike most of our lists, being in the top 3 of this list is not something any country would be proud about. Equatorial Guinea is a central African country which was in the past a colony for foreign powers. However, after its independence it became a single party dictatorship. As with any country with a dictator, the government failed and so did the country itself. With an LPI infrastructure of 1.50, it is one of the worst countries when it comes to infrastructures.

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2. Haiti

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.47

Haiti is the only Caribbean country on the list. Many Caribbean countries enjoy a pretty good economic condition due to the booming tourism industry in the region, however, Haiti somehow is the exception. Although the country sees quite a lot of tourists each year, other complications have made it really difficult for the country to break the vicious circle of debt, and start developing the eroding infrastructure of the country.

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1. Syria

LPI Infrastructure Score: 1.24

The worst country in the world in terms of infrastructure right now is Syria. A war is raging in Syria as we speak, and if you look at the news you will see reports of atrocities that are being carried out in Syria in name of religion or otherwise. So, developing a proper infrastructure is hardly a concern right now for the Syrian people.

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This wraps up the list of 11 primitive countries with the worst infrastructure in the world.